BULLETIN 81 AUTUMN 2015
Immune response gives devil researchers hope Research performed over a number of years at Menzies and published recently has shown that, under the right conditions, healthy Tasmanian devils immunised against the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) can produce an immune response against the cancer.
“We were able to induce this immune response by growing a large number of cells in the laboratory. The cells were shattered into pieces and mixed with a substance to induce inflammation when injected. This activated the devil’s immune system to produce antibodies against the cancer cells,” he said.
The research has been published in the international journal Vaccine. Menzies’ Professor Greg Woods said it provided encouraging evidence for potential development of a vaccine.
Dr Alex Kreiss, first author on the paper, acknowledged that a vaccine was still a long way off.
Working in the laboratory at Menzies, Professor Woods’ team used dead DFTD cells to trigger an immune response.
Dr Alex Kreiss, lead author of the paper published in Vaccine, prepares to check a devil for signs of DFTD.
We walk the talk At Menzies we are dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle ourselves, as well as promoting it to the community. On February 15, over 40 Menzies students, staff and family members joined Run the Bridge, with participants in the 2km, 5km and 10km divisions. We also had 12 hardy competitors who, undeterred by a bit of mud, dived boots and all into the Raw Challenge on February 21. Menzies staff are also active in Ride to Work Day and the Dragons Abreast Corporate Race Day. Watch out at lunchtime in the Hobart CBD – you might see the Menzies’ walking, running or cycling group in action. Some of the Run the Bridge contestants are pictured here.
“Developing and testing a vaccine is a long and painstaking process. One step can take years to test so we still have a long way to go.” The work has helped to lay the foundations for the Wild Devil Recovery Project, a collaboration between Menzies and the Tasmanian Government’s Save the Devil Program. Under this project 14 healthy devils will be injected before being released into the wild. They will be monitored for two years after their release. One of the greatest hurdles scientists faced in finding a vaccine against DFTD was access to enough healthy captive devils. The Wild Devil Recovery Project aims, first and foremost, to build up the population of healthy devils in the wild. It provides a perfect opportunity to test more devils and determine their response.